Petrol spill closes road for 14 hours

SOAPY SOLUTION: Firefighters applied foam to the spill at regular intervals. 255061AD

Swift action by emergency services averted a potential environmental disaster when a BP fuel tanker rolled on Ormsby Road near Pirongia, on Sunday morning.

It is estimated the tanker lost 19,500 litres of fuel, but most was all contained within 50 metres of the crash.

Environment Waikato’s Group Manager for Resource Use Chris McLay says there is no evidence of adverse environmental effects following a successful clean-up operation.

It was a long day for emergency workers. The crash occurred at about 7am and the road was re-opened about 14 hours later.

St John Ambulance attended to and transported the driver to Waikato Hospital with relatively minor injuries. He had been helped from the vehicle by residents and motorists. The St John team also stayed on-hand throughout the clean-up operation, as did Police and firefighters from Te Awamutu, Pirongia and Otorohanga.

Police say it appeared the south-bound truck and trailer veered into the verge. As the driver tried to pull the trailer back onto the road the weight of the load flipped the entire unit onto its side.

Absorbent pads were used to contain the spill, and a truck will be used to suck out any petrol remaining in the creek.

“We are confident we have contained the spill, and there is no evidence of any adverse environmental effects or long-term damage,” says Mr McLay. He praised the work of the emergency services team for containing the spill and protecting the environment.

ORMSBY ROAD residents David and Nicky Samuel were amongst the first on the scene of Sunday’s crash, and watched proceedings from their nearby home. These are their images of the crash scene and the salvage operation. See their story on page 2.